SailGP Season 2 comes to an end this weekend

Source: SailGP

SailGP will be returning to San Francisco on 26-27 March for the final event of Season 2, the championship-deciding Grand Final. 

Season 2 has been the biggest and best season to date, and it is finally coming to an end at the Grand Final in San Francisco this weekend. So far, Australia and the United States have qualified for the finale, and the third team to join is still to be decided in the winner-takes-all event. 

Looking back on Season 2

This season has been full of thrilling adrenaline-fueled action, with seven events across three continents. The battle for the SailGP Championship began almost 11 months ago, when Season 2 started on Bermuda’s Great Sound. For the first time ever, eight F50s took part in racing, and it is expected that the fleet will grow to 10 teams for Season 3. 

Sir Ben Ainslie’s team claimed the first victory, also breaking the SailGP racing speed record in Bermuda’s windy conditions - they hit 92.6 km/h (57.5 mph). Then, it was time for Japan to shine during the second event of the season, as they won the Italy Sail Grand Prix in Taranto following the incident in the three-team Final. 

Japan, Spain and the United States fought for victory until Jimmy Spithill’s USA team suffered an underwater collision, causing serious rudder damage to their F50 catamarans and granting victory to Japan. 

Great Britain followed the Taranto event, and during a great weekend in Plymouth, the current league leaders SailGP Team Australia claimed their first event win after beating France and the US at the final. Moreover during this event, Phil Robertson’s team was shown the Black Flag, resulting in Spain’s instant disqualification from the race. 

Aarhus was next for the SailGP fleet, with the ROCKWOOL Denmark Sail Grand Prix taking place in August. The Aussies claimed victory again despite not winning a single Fleet Race, but Tom Slingsby’s team put on their best performance when beating Japan and Great Britain in the final. However, Japan outperformed themselves during the next event in Saint-Tropez, when ‘wind whisperer’ Outteridge proved his talent in lighter conditions.

After the event in Saint-Tropez, France appointed a new driver hoping for a better performance in the Championship. Australia claimed victory again in Cadiz, Spain, returning to the top of the leaderboard.  

Also in Spain, the team crews expanded to six individuals, incorporating the Women’s Pathway Program athletes. Nina Curtis became the first female to win a SailGP event with her Aussie teammates, while CJ Perez joined the United States and Great Britain’s Hannah Mills rounded out the top three. 

A two month break ended the European leg before resuming before Christmas in Sydney. This event secured the spot for the Aussie team in the Grand Final after winning their home event. Spain finished third and still has a chance of making it to the three-team final. 

Find out where to watch the Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix event with the winner takes all final live in your country HERE.